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Parents, administrators react to active shooter drill pick up at Central Middle School

Active shooter drill routes students to middle school for reunification

By Ashley May

amay@ydr.com @ashleymaytweets on Twitter

Updated:
10/14/2013 09:36:00 AM EDT

Terrance Downs picks up his daughter at Central York Middle School after the active shooter drill at Central York High School Friday. (ASHLEY MAY DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS)

"Did they find them yet," Amy Coppersmith asked.

Coppersmith, along with two other mothers waited in an empty classroom at Central York Middle School with the district attorney, a mental health specialist and more than a handful of school staff. Her daughter, along with two other high school students, was missing.

But, the high school sent their students a different email than other participants. Their students were told to go to their first period class -- not the gym with the others.

It was all part of phase three, a part of the drill Central Middle School Principal Ed McManama didn't even know about. Phase one was the threat of an active shooter and phase two was parent-child reunification.

"This is the part the scares me because it's mass chaos," York District Attorney Tom Kearney said.

Phase three was the investigation.

"It was more realistic than we expected," McManama said.

After a middle school staff member called the high school and confirmed the location of the missing students, the worried mothers were given a chance to pick up their children. Everyone was alive and well. The drill concluded.

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Most families, volunteers and school staff involved at the middle school thought the day's events were successful. But, they did come across challenges. Aside from the three missing children, parents arrived well before students did. Because McManama didn't want them waiting out in the rain, he brought the parents inside to wait for their children.

So, instead of students heading to vehicles for pickup, they were reunited inside the middle school.

Before parents came inside, their IDs were checked, they filled out an information form with their student's name and they were handed a ticket for each child. The number on the ticket corresponded to a ticket of the same number that their child had.

Most parents said the ID system was well-organized. Sue Vanwyk said there was "more than enough staff" to help move the process along.

The parent reunification took about an hour, aside from the three "missing" children.

At 9:17 a.m., an automated service called all parents participating in the active shooter drill. The message notified them that the parent reunification process was underway and it was time for them to pick up their child from Central York Middle School. A few minutes after 10 a.m., more than 50 high school students filed through the middle school, hands raised to show they were carrying no firearms.

Junior Nate Mehl said from a student's perspective, the officials were strict and effective bringing them to the middle school.

Mother Heika Meckley said she supports "anything we can do to better prepare parents, students, community, teachers and school administrators."

School staff and official personnel involved in the reunification came away with pages of notes.